General Science
Japanese Encephalitis
▪ It is a potentially severe viral zoonotic disease caused by the Japanese Encephalitis(B) virus.
▪ The virus is transmitted from animals – particularly pigs and birds belonging to the Ardeidae
family, such as cattle egrets, pond herons, etc. – to humans by the Culex mosquito of the Vishnui group.
▪ There is no human-to-human transmission of the virus.
▪ Vaccination is the most effective prevention strategy, particularly in endemic regions.
▪ Early diagnosis and supportive treatment can help manage symptoms, but there is no specific
antiviral treatment for Japanese Encephalitis.
▪ According to the central government guidelines, two doses of the vaccine have been a part of
the Universal Immunisation Programme since 2013.
▪ Since 2007, the JE vaccination programme is being implemented in 15 endemic revenue districts in Tamil Nadu.
▪ In Tamil Nadu, the program to provide Japanese brain fever vaccination to children up to 15 years of age and adolescents has been extended to 7 more districts.
H5N1 Bird Flu
▪ H5N1 bird flu, a highly pathogenic virus, is spreading globally, posing a significant threat to birds and wildlife.
About H5N1 Bird Flu
▪ Avian influenza A(H5N1) or H5N1 bird flu is a highly pathogenic virus that primarily spreads among birds but can affect mammals.
▪ H5N1 originated from a viral outbreak in China in 1996 and quickly evolved into a highly pathogenic strain.
▪ The first H5N1 outbreak in India occurred in 2015 in Maharashtra and Gujarat states.
Latest inventions in science and technology
Quantum Technology
▪ China successfully launched the first satellite capable of information exchange using quantum
technology with extreme security that hackers cannot easily penetrate.
▪ This 2-year experiment has been named ‘Quantum Experiments at Space Scale-QUESS’.
Space
India’s First Private EO Satellite Constellation
▪ PixxelSpace India-led consortium selected to design, build, and operate India’s first fully
indigenous commercial Earth Observation (EO) satellite constellation.
▪ Project is under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, led by IN-SPACe (Indian National
Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre).
▪ Purpose and Applications: The satellite constellation will provide high-quality data and services
(Analysis Ready Data and Value-Added Services) for various applications, including climate
change monitoring, disaster management, agriculture, marine surveillance, national security, and urban planning.
▪ Strategic Importance: A primary goal of this initiative is to reduce India’s dependence on foreign sources for satellite data, thereby ensuring data sovereignty.
